2015-2016 Student Organization Handbook

2015-16

STUDENT ORGANIZATION HANDBOOK

Mission Statement The American School of Dubai’s mission is to challenge and inspire each student to achieve their dreams and to become a passionate learner prepared to adapt and contribute in a rapidly changing world.

Core Values Compassion

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Excellence

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Integrity

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Respect

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Responsibility

We believe that: It is our responsibility to give help where needed.

Striving for excellence is critical to our success.

Integrity and honesty are essential to a safe and trusting community.

Every person has equal inherent value.

Embracing our diversity strengthens our community.

Every person is responsible for their choices.

Learning Principles Learning has inherent value.

Learners experience the power of an idea for themselves.

Learning is enhanced when goals are clear and personalized.

Learners engage when they see the importance of the work and experience a sense of accomplishment.

Learners need clear expectations for quality of process, performance and product.

Learners thrive in a safe environment.

Effective feedback, reflection and self-assessment are essential to deepen and extend learning.

Independent thinking and creativity flourish within a stimulating environment.

Student Profile THINKER Creative, Critical, Reflective, Adaptable, Persistent COMMUNICATOR Effective, Confident, Collaborative CONTRIBUTOR Aware, Ethical, Respectful, Open-Minded, Compassionate LEARNER Engaged, Responsible, Self-Directed, Inquisitive LEADER & ROLE MODEL Inspires, Guides

Table of Contents

________________________________________________ Student Organizations at ASD

2

Roles and Responsibilities

6

Our Organization Has Been Approved, Now What?!

8

Events and Activities

23

Appendix

27

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STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS AT ASD Statement of Purpose for Student Organizations

Student organizations at the American School of Dubai exist as a co-curricular forum for students to express or explore interests, to build student leadership, and to enrich campus life.

Philosophy

Co-curricular student organizations are an important part of our comprehensive school program. We believe they help to round out students’ educational experience as they explore areas of personal passion beyond academics. Additionally they provide students an opportunity to serve and grow as leaders while becoming engaged in the school community and gaining a deeper sense of belonging.

Membership is open to all students at the American School of Dubai without discrimination. Some Academic organizations may have minimum requirements, set by organizations external to ASD. Examples of this are National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta. Organizations without such requirements may not exclude members.

Organizations may have expectations and disciplinary procedures affecting membership which are clearly stated in their constitution and applied equitably to all student members.

At the American School of Dubai, we believe strongly in student choice and student voice. Student organizations, therefore, are led and initiated by students when developmentally appropriate. All student organizations are required to have a faculty advisor who advises and guides students as they work together to meet the mission of their organization. Faculty advisors actively work to honor and empower student voice and choice in decisionmaking.

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Types of Student Organizations at ASD Student organizations at the American School of Dubai fall into three categories: School Leadership, Academic, and Service. School leadership and academic organizations are supervised by school administration. Service organizations are supervised by the Service Learning office. The organizational chart below lists current organizations (as of SY 15/16).

School Leadership

Academic

Service

Student Government (SGA, STUCO) Student Tech Crew (STC) International Student Association (ISA) Library Advisory Council Body and Mind (BAM) Student Leadership Development Program (SLDP) Falcon Ambassadors Club GEM Prom Committee Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) Play It Up Varsity Club Council

National Honor Society National Junior Honor Society Mu Alpha Theta Thespian Society ASD Business Club Cinematography In Motion World Languages Club Science Club

Educate Girls Globally (EGG) END7 Global Issues Network Children’s Emergency Fund SEENAH Room to Read Little Wings PAWS Kids for Wish Kids (KFWK) Seeds of Change Global Awareness Inner Awakenings (GAIA) Save the Children

“The young do not know enough to be prudent, and therefore they attempt the impossible, and achieve it, generation after generation.” ― Pearl S. Buck

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Student Organizations Approval Process

Criteria Student organizations sponsored by the American School of Dubai meet the following criteria: 1. Initiated by a current member of the ASD student body 2. Evidence of sufficient student interest (i.e. 20 or more students) 3. Alignment of the mission with that of the American School of Dubai 4. The mission falls within the scope of the school’s supported categories for student organizations 5. Support of a faculty advisor 6. Inclusive of all interested people 7. Distinct purpose, goals and activities from existing opportunities 8. New student organizations will be granted provisional status pending completion of a one-year pilot 9. Continued successful completion of annual renewal

Starting a Student Organization at the American School of Dubai: Step 1: Complete the Student Organization Proposal Application (see Appendix A). Submit the form to the High School Office by the posted deadline.

Step 2: Complete and submit the Student Organization Petition. This form demonstrates support for the organization. A total of 20 signatures must be collected from current ASD students, grades 9-11, who agree to join the organization if it is approved.

Step 3: Student Leadership & Academic Organizations are reviewed by divisional administration. Service organizations are reviewed by the Service Learning Coordinator. You may be asked to meet if there are questions about your application. Applications are then presented to the Campus Life Core Committee, which makes final determinations.

Step 4: Decision regarding your proposal is communicated. New organizations are on “pilot” status for one school year. At the end of the pilot phase, the continuation of the organization as an official school-sponsored group will be determined based upon its ability to meet the criteria for school-sponsored student organizations as well as to achieve its goals and objectives as outlined in this Proposal Form.

Step 5: Approved organizations will attend a leadership training and planning session at the start of the following school year. Attendance at this training is required of founding committee members and faculty advisors.

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Pilot Organization Status New organizations will be initially approved as a pilot. After one year, the pilot organization may be approved for full status upon completion of the renewal application, which demonstrates the following: 1. Has been in existence for at least one school year 2. Maintains an active membership of at least 20 students 3. Has a constitution describing the purpose, goals and structure 4. Has identified activities that meet the mission and intent for ASD student organizations 5. Has an identified meeting structure 6. Identifies leaders through a sound electoral process 7. Has actively participated in opportunities made available to student organizations at ASD. Including, but not limited to: leadership training, assemblies, and student events 8. Has an active faculty advisor

Renewing an Organization at the American School of Dubai All student organizations will complete an annual renewal process. The renewal process involves completion of the Renewal Application (see Appendix B). The Renewal Application offers your organization the opportunity to reflect upon your activities during the year and to set goals for the year ahead. It is also the opportunity to express your continued interest in maintaining your organization. All criteria must be met.

Timeline Proposals and renewals are conducted annually in the Spring. Leadership training is held at the start of the following school year.

“I am no bird and no net ensnares me.

I am a free human being with an independent will.” ― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

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ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Roles & Responsibilities of Students Co-curricular activities enrich the lives of students and provide them with opportunities to express themselves through arts, athletics, service, academic and school leadership organizations. Leadership, organizational skills and decision-making skills are developed through activities such as holding an office in a student organization.

Below are general guidelines pertaining to all students involved in co-curricular organizations at ASD. Each individual organization may set more stringent requirements of their membership.

Student Leaders • Uphold the mission and core values of the American School of Dubai • Ensure that all school rules, policies and procedures are followed at all meetings, events, and activities, and in the preparation for such • Ensure that all members have a voice in the development, direction, and planning of the organization and its activities • Plan, design, organize, promote and implement the mission, constitution, and all activities, meetings and events of the organization, in collaboration with faculty advisor.

• Set the agenda and conduct meetings for their organization • Maintain good working relationships with members, Officers, Advisor(s), Administrators, other student organizations, and community partners • Ensure transparency of all activities of the organization through the posting of guidelines, constitution, mission, meeting minutes, financial records, and all other matters pertaining to the operation of your organization • Understand the importance of and use planning, action and reflection in a cycle of continuous improvement for your organization • Ensure that the activities and events of your organization directly reflect your mission and stated purpose All Student Participants • Conduct themselves at all times in such a manner to reflect positively on themselves, ASD and the school community • Carefully consider obligations and commitments prior to joining a student organization • Learn about opportunities available by attending meetings and participating in communication platforms as established by each student organization • Actively and positively participate in meetings, events, and activities of the organizations which they have joined

“Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in total of all those acts will be written in the history of this generation.” ― Robert F. Kennedy

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Roles & Responsibilities of the Faculty Advisor Each recognized ASD student organization must have a Faculty Advisor. Advisors are recruited by student leadership and Administration. Faculty are under no obligation to serve as an Advisor for any particular activity, but are encouraged to support those initiatives with which they share common interest. Although the Advisor acts voluntarily, entering into this role comes with certain responsibilities.

Role of the Advisor • Supervise students and activities of the student organization.

• Gve advice, direction and counsel to student leaders on all matters concerning operations, school policy, and student management and ensure that students adhere to the school expectations as set forth in the student/parent handbook, code of conduct, mission and core values.

• Ensure the safety and conduct of student members at school, at events or in the community.

• Encourage collaborative relationships & good communications between students, faculty, administration, relevant department directors, and other student organizations.

• Uphold the Core Values and Mission of the American School of Dubai.

Responsibilities of the Advisor • Uphold all school policies and procedures which may impact activities. Including, but not limited to: Student Handbook, Faculty Handbook, ASD Mission & Core Values, Promotional Signage, Fundraising, Field Trip, Facility Use, Cash Handling, Election of Student Officers.

• Maintain the same degree of professionalism as in the regular school day.

• Ensure that the Advisor or another suitable faculty member is present at all functions, including, but not limited to: membership meetings, officer meetings, elections, events, fundraisers and field trips.

• Advisors must approve for all invoices (bills), transfers, check requests, approval forms, purchase requests, expenditure forms, reimbursement forms or any other school-required form and ensure that timely deadlines are met where applicable.

• Advisors carefully review and help formulate the organization’s Constitution and Bylaws, annual budget, any event proposal or facility request and ensure that the proper approvals are obtained.

• Advisors serve for a minimum of one school year and provide student leadership with clear intent to return/ resign at time of renewal.

• Ensure that adequate Faculty:Student chaperone ratios (1:10) are met for any off-campus activity.

• Ensure that student leaders fulfill the responsibilities as outlined in the Student Roles & Responsibilities.

• Keep track of facility and equipment use to ensure that all areas and equipment are returned clean and in good working order at the end of any activity. Ensure that guidelines of national or international chapters are adhered to, if applicable. Examples: Mu Alpha Theta, Thespians, National Honor Society.

“A light heart lives long.” ― William Shakespeare

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OUR ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN APROVED! NOW WHAT?!

Crafting Your Mission Every student organization at the American School of Dubai will have a mission statement. Crafting your mission statement is an important first step for your organization. Your mission is a powerful tool to define your work and communicate clearly to the community what your central purpose is. Furthermore, your organization will be held accountable to your mission statement as you seek approval for activities and at annual renewal.

“A mission statement becomes the north star for people. it becomes how you make decisions, how you lead, and how you create boundaries.” ― Tara Parker-Pope, The New York Times

Tips to creating a good mission statement: • Your mission must support the mission of ASD: We challenge and inspire each student to achieve their dreams and to become a passionate learner prepared to adapt and contribute in a rapidly changing world.

• Aim for a statement that can be contained in one sentence.

• Your mission should include your cause, your actions, and your impact.

• Use active language and present tense.

• Choose strong, precise verbs for best clarity.

• Executive officers, organization founders and faculty advisors collaborate together on crafting the mission.

• Writing a strong mission statement takes time - have a drafting session, let it rest and then come back to it at a second meeting. Say it out loud - how does it sound? Show it to someone outside your organization and ask them what it means - is it communicating what you want it to?

• Your mission should be “live” - reference it for each and every decision that your organization makes. How do your plans and actions support your mission? Be brave enough to discard plans or actions that do not support your mission.

• Communicate your mission at every opportunity. It should be prominent on your print and digital materials; consider posting it at every meeting; place it on your agenda; display your mission at every event; work it into every public opportunity - assemblies, etc.

• Initially, plan to review your mission annually - does it still hold true? Is it performing? Avoid changing unnecessarily - the strongest missions persist over time (Just Do It (Nike)).

Here’s a great article with more tips: http://www.nonprofithub.org/starting-a-nonprofit/nonprofit-missionstatements-good-and-bad-examples/

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Writing Your Constitution Drafting your Organization’s Constitution: Your constitution is the document which contains the binding agreements of your organization. Each student organization is required to have a constitution containing at least the following elements. Optional items are indicated as [Optional]. After the mission statement, crafting your organization’s constitution is your next order of business. Please see below for a guidance template.

ARTICLE I: NAME & PURPOSE

Section A: Name – Your organization’s name Section B: National Affiliation [Optional] – If the organization is a member of a national or state organization, add the following statement: “The rules and regulations of the National Constitution shall be followed and are attached to this document.” Attach a copy of the national constitution to this document.

Section C: Mission Statement - Your strong, precise mission statement here.

Section D: Effective Date: This constitution is effective from [effective date] until [termination date, OR “otherwise amended by the membership as described in this document].

ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP Section A: Eligibility - Membership shall be open to students at the American School of Dubai who [define membership qualification, i.e., students in a particular division (ES, MS, HS), students interested in _______, etc. Keep in mind that your purpose in this section is to define your membership, not to exclude students from becoming members.]

ARTICLE III: EXECUTIVE OFFICERS Section A: Officers – The officers shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and Publicist.

[Exclude any titles from the above that your organization does not have. Your organization may not have more than (5) Executive Officer positions.]

Section B: Eligibility – Officers must not hold office concurrently in any other ASD student organization.

Additionally, Officers must be [list any other requirements or qualifications of Officers here. Example: existing members of the organization in good standing (and be sure to define the “good standing” criteria].

Section C: Election – Define your fair process for electing/selecting officers here. Who can vote? Who is involved in the decision-making? How will a tie or disagreement be handled? If your organization does not elect, change the name of this section to: Selection. [Example: The officers shall be elected by ballot at the last meeting of the spring semester by a majority of the vote cast for that office.]

Section D: Term – When do your officers start their duties? How long do they hold office for? [Example: The officers shall serve for one year and their term of office shall begin at the commencement of the fall semester.]

Section E: Vacancy – How will you replace an officer if one leaves school or is no longer eligible for office?

[Example:If a vacancy occurs in the office of President, the Vice-President shall assume the office for the remainder of the term and vacancies in any other office shall be filled by a special election of the membership.]

ARTICLE IV: DUTIES OF OFFICERS (List the title of each Officer, followed by the duties for that officer - be clear and specific. The text below is presented as a sample) Section A: President – it shall be the duty of the President to: • Preside at meetings • Vote only in case of a tie • Represent the organization • Appoint committee chairpersons subject to the approval of the Executive Committee • Serve as an ex-officio member of all committees except the nominating committee • Perform such other duties as ordinarily pertain to this office Section B: Vice-President – It shall be the duty of the Vice-President to: • Preside in the absence of the President • Serve as chairperson of the Program Committee Section C: Secretary – It shall be the duty of the Secretary to: • Record the minutes of all meetings • Keep a file of the organization’s records • Maintain a current roster of membership • Issue notices of meetings and conduct general correspondence ASD Student Organization Handbook | 9

Section D: Treasurer – It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to: • Advise the organization on sound accounting principles and systems. Oversee compliance with all ASD guidelines on financial matters.

• Receive all funds and process Request for Payment, Deposit Slip, and Officer Signature Forms.

• Keep an itemized account of all receipts and expenditures and make reports as directed by the Executive Officers, the faculty advisor or school administration.

ARTICLE V: MEETINGS Section A: Meetings – List the specifics of your student organization’s expectation about meetings here.

[When will your organization meet? How often? At what time? Are there meeting attendance requirements for members? What kind of business will be conducted at meetings? Example: Regular meetings shall be held monthly during Flex block. Executive Officers shall meet on the Wednesday immediately preceding the regular meeting, from 3pm - 4pm, in the advisor’s classroom.]

Section B: Special Meeting – How will your organization handle business that arises outside of your regular meeting schedule? [Example: Special meetings may be called by the President with the approval of the Executive Committee.]

Section C: Quorum – A quorum is the minimum number of people who must be present to be able to conduct binding business of the organization. A meeting in which a quorum is not present can still be held, but no decisions requiring a vote can be conducted. For what decisions will a quorum be necessary? [The number required should be small enough to ensure that a quorum will usually be present but large enough to protect the organization against decisions being made by a small minority. Example: A quorum shall consist of twothirds (2/3) of the membership.]

Section D: [Optional] Parliamentary Authority – List any rules or procedures you will follow at your meetings.

[Example: Robert’s Rules of Orders, shall govern meetings of this student organization in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws.]

ARTICLE VI: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Section A: Responsibility – Management of this student organization shall be vested in an Executive Committee responsible to the entire membership to uphold these bylaws.

Section B: Membership – This committee shall consist of the officers as listed in Article III and the faculty advisor.

Section C: Meetings – This committee shall meet at least once between regular meetings of the student organization to organize and plan future activities.

ARTICLE VII: ADVISOR Section A: Selection – Each student organization must have a faculty/staff advisor in order to hold meetings and conduct business. Organizationss without an advisor will be suspended until an advisor is located. Include here: how will an advisor be identified, who within the organization has the authority to recruit & select the advisor?

Section B: Duties [Optional] – The responsibilities of the faculty advisor shall be to: [include here anything specific to your organization. Faculty advisors have a comprehensive list of roles & responsibilities that serves as their co-curricular contract and can be found in the Student Organization Handbook. Repeating those items here is not necessary.]

ARTICLE VIII: COMMITTEES [Optional] List any regular, on-going committees that your organization has. These should not be short-term committees, but ones that are vital to the on-going business of the organization and persist over time. See the examples below.

Section A: Program Committee – A program committee composed of the Vice-President as chairperson and four other members shall be appointed by the President before the end of spring semester, whose duty shall be to plan the overall program of the organization.

Section B: Other committees – [List other committees germane to the organization such as finance, publicity, membership, social, fundraising, etc.]

Section C: Special Committees – The President shall have the authority to appoint any special committees, with the approval of the Executive Committee, from time to time as need demands.

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ARTICLE IX: AMENDMENTS Section A: Selection – Who can submit amendments to the bylaws? How will changes be adopted?

[Example: These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the student organization membership.]

Section B: Notice – How and when will members be notified that there is an important vote pending?

[Example: All members shall receive advance notice of the proposed amendment at least five days before the meeting in which the amendment will be discussed.]

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you.

What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” ― Jane Goodall

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Financial Matters & Policies for Student Organizations To remain in good standing, all student organizations must comply with the following financial policies and procedures.

General • All student organizations must be approved through the Proposal/Renewal process. Under no circumstances should any student organization ask for or receive money, for any purpose until the following authorizations have been received: 1. Student organization has received notice of successful proposal/renewal application.

2. Student organization elections have been held and officers have been finalized.

3. Student organization’s Treasurer, President & Faculty Advisor have attended financial training & developed a budget plan.

4. Student organization constitution, and annual budget plan have been voted on and passed by members. Approved by Advisor and by Divisional Supervision.

5. Student organization account has been opened.

• At no time should a student or faculty member commit to or sign a binding contract. The divisional Principal, the Associate Superintendent and the Superintendent are the only persons able to commit the school to a contract.

• Each student organization must have an annual budget plan. The budget plan will be approved by the student organization’s Treasurer, the President, the Advisor, and the Divisional Administrator under which the student organization falls.

• All student organization Treasurers, Presidents, and Advisors must attend the Financial training and ensure that their student organization is in compliance with school financial policy and practices at all times.

• Any student organization which anticipates handling money must have an account with the Business Office. This applies for all financial activities whether it be for purchasing student organization t-shirts, collecting conference or workshop fees or for charitable fundraising.

• Any activities involving cash must follow the Cash Handling Best Practices.

• At no time should money go home with a student, faculty or other community member or be otherwise unattended.

• Funds must be used for legitimate student organization expenses or for donation to an authorized, registered charitable organization. Direct contributions to an individual are not allowed.

• All income and expenditures are subject to approval by divisional supervision and the Associate Superintendent.

• Reimbursement requests totaling less than 500 dhs can be paid in cash through the Business Office.

Requests over 500 dhs will be issued a check.

• Any requests to organizations/individuals to sponsor, donate, or fundraise are managed by the Office of Advancement. Students should never present themselves or their student organizations as official representatives of ASD. Accounts • All monetary transactions must be transparent through the use of the student organization’s account.

This means a system must be created to track your student organization’s financial activity. This may be a simple spreadsheet. This system must be accessible to the ASD community.

• The student organization’s Treasurer must report regularly on the financial status of the organization to its members.

• To open an account: Faculty Advisor requests account from the divisional administrator charged with supervising their organization. If approved, the request is reviewed by the Associate Superintendent.

If approved, the Business Office assigns an account number. The name on the account will match the student organization’s name and the divisional administrator supervising the organization will be the signatory. All transactions involving money will be handled through this account and approved by the divisional administrator.

• The Associate Superintendent has ultimate authority over student organization accounts.

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Cash Handling Best Practices Cash Handling Requirements Following are the requirements for handling cash sales at the American School of Dubai. We have these requirements as a safeguard and to ensure accurate reporting of your fundraising efforts.

Proper cash handling procedures help assure that: • All the money due to your student organization is received and that donors to your cause are confident that their money is being handled wisely.

• All money collected is properly recorded.

• All money collected is properly and timely deposited.

• Reconciliations and management oversights are conducted to confirm the above.

Handling and Safeguarding Cash • Have a closing, locking cash box for your event. These are available for check-out from the Service Learning office.

• Designate a minimum of two people to collect and manage cash - these people should be in control of the cash at all times, from the start of the event until the cash is turned into the Business office or locked up. For maximum protection, ask your student organization Advisor to be present at all times when cash is being handled.

• Cash and/or cash boxes should be attended at all times by the designated persons.

• Access to cash should be limited to the persons designated. These persons must accept complete responsibility for the cash collected.

• Keep your cash in a locked/combination vault or safe, or, in a locked room in a locked drawer or file cabinet, during non-business hours in the Service Learning office.

• Never take cash from your event home with you or let anyone else take it home with them.

• All cash should be deposited to your account in the Business office immediately after your event. In the event that this is not possible, you must make arrangements for it to be locked safely until it can be deposited the next day.

• At the end of the event: total your cash and coin. To reduce the risk of error, all cash should be separated according to denomination, and should face the same direction. Coins must be bagged in like denominations and by count of 100 coins per bag.

• A second person should verify the total count.

• Deduct expenses from the cash, if applicable. Make sure you have a receipt to justify your expenses and get a signature from the person receiving the money to acknowledge the reimbursement.

• Transport your cash to the Business Office with a minimum of two people. The Cashier will verify your count. Always get a receipt for your deposit. Your Treasurer will want to create a system for filing receipts and verifying deposits.

• Report your success to your student organization members and to the ASD Community, if applicable.

Charitable Fundraising In a manner consistent with the Board of Trustees policies, ASD provides meaningful opportunities for fundraising to support charitable organizations.

Fundraising includes both the collection of money as well as in-kind donations and collections. Only authorized organizations in the Service category are able to fundraise on the ASD Campus. The following guidelines apply: • All fundraising activities/events or actions MUST be pre-approved. This is done first through the annual calendaring process. After the annual calendar has been finalized, requests are entertained through the Activity/Event Approval process.

• Fundraising proposals must be submitted at least one month in advance.

• Student fundraising proposals must be submitted in conjunction with the faculty advisor for the authorized organization.

• Fundraising to meet student organization or individual needs will not be allowed. Some examples of this are fundraising to pay for member t-shirts, trip costs, or parties - these activities must be paid for on a fee basis voluntarily by individual members of the student organization.

• Costs of fundraising activities must be tracked and reported upon as part of the organization’s financial report.

• Fundraising proceeds must be donated directly to an authorized, registered charitable organization.

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Fundraising to benefit an individual is not allowed at campus-wide events.

• There are (2) opportunities for student groups to fundraise. They are: Booster Bazaar (December) and PTSA Carnival (March). The presentation of these opportunities to fundraise should not be taken as approval. Student organizations wishing to take advantage of these opportunities must follow the approval process and receive notification of approval PRIOR to undertaking the activity.

• Service organizations carrying a balance in excess of $1,000.00 USD in their accounts, at the start of a school year, are not eligible to fundraise until funds have been appropriately donated or a need-based proposal has been submitted and approved by the Associate Superintendent.

Fee-based activities In a manner consistent with the Board of Trustees policies, ASD provides meaningful opportunities for fundraising to support school initiatives.

• All activities/events or actions MUST be pre-approved. This is done first through the annual calendaring process. After the annual calendar has been finalized, requests are entertained through the Activity/Event Approval process.

• Proposals must be submitted at least one month in advance.

• Student proposals must be submitted in conjunction with the faculty advisor for the authorized organization.

• The fee to be charged must meet a specific need, not able to be met by other means.

• Activities/events for a fee to meet student organization or individual needs will not be allowed. Some examples of this are to pay for member t-shirts, trip costs, or parties - these activities must be paid for on a fee basis voluntarily by individual members of the student organization.

• There are (2) opportunities for student groups at campus-wide events. They are: Booster Bazaar (December) and PTSA Carnival (March). The presentation of these opportunities to fundraise should not be taken as approval. Student organizations wishing to take advantage of these opportunities must follow the approval process and receive notification of approval PRIOR to undertaking the activity.

Activity/Event Approvals Events calendared during the creation of the Annual Calendar shall be deemed approved. No further approval process for the event/fundraiser shall be required.

Student Groups • Service groups wishing to fundraise will work with the Service Learning Coordinator.

• School Leadership & Academic groups will work with Administrative team for their Division.

Faculty • Faculty wishing to fundraise must pitch their idea and receive approval from their Division Administrator or Direct Supervisor.

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” ― Gandhi

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Elections Student organizations which rely on officer positions to organize themselves and/or to carry out the work of the organization must have transparent election procedures. These procedures should be clearly stated in the organization’s constitution.

Information to be included in Constitution: 1. Officer positions must be named and a complete description of duties, requirements, and responsibilities for each position must be provided.

2. The manner by which officer candidates shall be identified.

3. The process by which officers present their candidacy to the membership of the group.

4. The process by which officer placement decisions are made.

5. The process to resolve any disputes that may arise during the electoral process.

6. The date on which officers will assume their positions.

Policies: 1. Students may not hold more than one executive office at one time. Executive offices are defined as: a. President b. Vice-President c. Treasurer d. Secretary e. Publicist f. Class Representative to Student Government g. Any position listed as an Executive Officer in the Constitution of an organization h. Any position determined by school administration to hold the same level of responsibility as the above 2. During election season, students may only run in one election cycle at a time. Elections encompassing positions which serve the entire student body (i.e. student government) shall be completed prior to those which serve a smaller segment of the ASD student body (i.e., student organizations). A student who runs for a position serving the student body and is unsuccessful in that election may run for an executive position in a student organization in the next election cycle.

3. Prospective officer candidates must hold a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 and be in good academic and disciplinary standing. Students wishing to hold office in any student organization must complete the Candidate Declaration form available from the High School office (see Appendix C).

4. Campaign materials of any kind must be approved by school administration prior to posting. This includes, but is not limited to: print materials, video and social media messages. Each division at ASD may have specific guidelines pertaining to campaign materials. It is the candidate’s responsibility to know and uphold these guidelines. All materials guidelines must be followed.

5. Nothing of value may be given as a part of campaign materials.

High School Timeline: In order to maximize opportunities for student involvement and leadership, the following timeline has been adopted in the high school.

1. Whole School Positions: a. SGA (Spring) i. Executive (whole school assembly) ii. Class Rep (grade level assemblies) b. Student Organization Renewal Process (to run concurrently with the SGA elections) 2. Student Organization Offices (Spring, happens after SGA positions have been finalized) a. Students will register in the HS Office i. Academic and disciplinary eligibility determined ii. Registration will allow us to determine for which positions students are running so there is no potential for students holding more than one elected position iii. Student Organization Elections staggered by category: Academic, Student Leadership, Service 3. Advisory Representative

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Effective Communication Effective communication is vital to the success of your organization. Good communication will help you accomplish your goals, ensure deeper understanding about your organization and its mission, and help build beneficial relationships with your team, your advisor, the student body, administrators and the community-atlarge. Conversely, communication challenges can seriously undermine your organization. For these reasons, it is best to assign the responsibility for communication to one person, preferably one of your Executive Officers.

Follow these tips for best results!

Expectations for Good Student Organization Communication and Decision Making Consider adopting or adapting these for your organization - write them down and make sure they are easily accessible to all members. (Many thanks to the Student Leadership Development Program for sharing these agreements.)

• Keep email communication short and to the point. Verbal communication is always better for complicated ideas or issues that might require discussion.

• cc: Faculty Advisor and core leadership team on all emails between committees, student organization members, students and administrators.

• Discuss and approve all emails to teachers, administrators, and school staff with Faculty Advisor before sending (these emails should always be sent by a consistent contact person, usually the president, communications officer, or committee leader related to the initiative).

• Allow 24-48 hours for email communication response time.

• Plan and use agendas for all meetings. Ensure that all members have an opportunity to express their thoughts and opinions at meetings.

• Take minutes during meetings and discuss next steps before ending the meeting. Make sure the minutes and agendas are accessible to all.

• Set clear, measurable goals for team members and committees.

• Take pictures at your events. Photos and video can provide a dynamic way to share your message as well as help document your work.

• Remember to say “please” and “thank you”. In a hurry, it’s easy to forget these small words, but they pack a big punch!

• Celebrate your successes! Use the tips on these pages to inform people of your gratitude for their time, their participation at your event and their contribution to your cause.

• Any request for external publishing or use of student materials must go through the office of Advancement.

Refer all such requests to the Director of Advancement.

“The best way out is always through.” ― Robert Frost 16 | ASD Student Organizationt Handbook

Communication Planning Before deciding where to share your information, answer the following questions: 1.

2.

3.

4.

What information do you need to share (what is your message)?

Who needs to receive this information (who is your audience)?

When do they need to receive the information (is it time sensitive)?

What options are there for me to share this message, to this audience, at this time?

Generally, student organizations will have needs to communicate directly with members, with a broader audience to recruit members, and a few might have a need to share information with the ASD community to either encourage attendance at an event or share the good work they are doing as publicity. Careful planning with communication ensures that the right people get the right message at the right time.

Communication Platforms at ASD There are many platforms available to students to communicate information about their organization’s events and activities. Below are a few suggestions.

For Administration and Organization: 1. Create a member email list and make sure it is regularly updated. Assign this task to one of your officers to ensure the best result.

2. Facebook - Especially in the HS, students may want to use Facebook or other social media to communicate with members. Please be aware that many ASD students are not allowed to have their photo taken and publicly posted. Review the ASD Responsible Use Policy prior to using Facebook or other social media for your organization and consider a policy statement on how social media will be used with your organizations.

For member recruitment or announcements to students: 1. Student Bulletin (HS) - Your Advisor can contact the HS office.

2. TV monitor (HS), goes to HS students via hallway monitors. Complete the form required on the HS website.

3. Core Council (HS) - monthly meeting with (1) rep from each student organization in the HS. Assign a member to attend to share information about your organization & learn about collaborative opportunities within the HS. Contact the Facilitator to get on the agenda.

4. SGA Assemblies (HS), contact SGA. 5. STUCO (MS), contact STUCO Advisor. Monthly meeting of all Advisory & Student Organization reps.

6. ES STUCO, contact ES STUCO Advisor.

7. Bulletin Boards in each building - make sure your promotional materials have been approved by your advisor and the building Principal. Posters must be on designated bulletin boards only. Posters must not be adhered to windows, walls, glass. Read the Promotional Signage policy for further details.

For Promotion of a Campus-wide Event: 1. For news impacting the entire ASD community, contact the Office of Advancement at least one month in advance. They can advise you on how to create promotional campaigns for your events or to support you in sharing the successes of your organization. See the ASD Promotional Signage Policy on the following page for guidelines on putting up signs or flyers on campus.

“Think left and think right and think low and think high.

Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!” ― Dr. Seuss

ASD Student Organization Handbook | 17

ASD Promotional Signage Policy Adopted November 2012, Revised October, 2015.

(1) Promotional Signage (2) Backpack Mail Distribution The American School of Dubai’s mission is to challenge and inspire each student to achieve their dreams and to become a passionate learner prepared to adapt and contribute in a rapidly changing world.

Compassion Excellence Integrity Respect Responsibility (1) Promotional Signage Policy Rationale ASD promotes optimal communication when it demonstrates consistency in its visual, symbolic, organizational and verbal messaging. Our school is home to 1,600+ students and families who count on our campus to be learning centered and community friendly. The ASD community benefits from a coordinated and respectful campus. The promotional signage policy presented here ensures that everyone enjoys and benefits from an attractive, clutter free and non-commercial environment. ASD desires to be good stewards of its facilities and remain learning centered in the process.

This policy is directed to ASD’s faculty, staff, community service and parent involvement groups and all facility users. Student organizations designing and displaying promotional materials will work with their student organization/grade/division advisors for approval and alignment of their promotional program with this policy.

Orientation Promotional signage at ASD is: • Non cluttered in nature to avoid a commercial or chaotic look; • Temporary in nature; • Placed on designated spaces; • Bears the identity of the organizing group and includes contact information; • Successful when we work together as model citizens in support of our learning environment and the stewardship of our facilities.

• A privilege.

Success through Partnership The Advancement Office is a resource to our faculty, staff and parent groups for advice, counsel and final approval of promotional signage in accordance with policy. Promotional materials planned well in advance and in consultation with Campus Recreation and Advancement will yield greatest results in promoting specific ASD events and activities.

The following sizes are pre-approved for placement: • Sign sizes that are A4, A3 and A1 • Any other size requires the prior approval of the Advancement Office before the commitment of resources.

On certain occasions, ASD may approve large banners on buildings and walls around campus. The first point of contact for discussion is the Advancement Office.

The following locations for signage are pre-approved: 1) Outside ‘Encased Glass notice boards’ These glass cases are open and remain unlocked for community and school use at any time. Please avoid overlap to support a clean and neat look. The keys for these cases are held with Campus Recreation, yet the cases will remain unlocked.

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Location of Encased Glass notice boards: 1 near Gate 6 area; the other one in this location is (purchased) SOC only.

1 near Gate 1; K1/K2 sector 1 near Falcon Seal area - outside Grade 3/4/5 entrance 1 outside HS Multipurpose Room 1 outside HS pool 1 outside the Falcon’s Nest concession area/outside of the Field House 2) A limited number of A-Frame style easel stands are available for use near and at the gates 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 as well as outside the Theater Foyer. These are booked through a facility request with Campus Recreation.

These Boards should never be used indoors, for indoor signage, you may use the A2 Boards.

3) Community bulletin boards (the transportable black boards) are available for use and are booked with your facility request with Campus Recreation.

4) Campus Recreation bulletin boards are available for use in these locations: High School - located the opposite end of the hall from the office on the right hand side.

Middle School - opposite the office Elementary School - outside Campus Recreation Office 5) The outside ‘back of the Falcon wall’ near the fields may be available for banners (size 210 X210) by request at the time of facility booking. Hanging days are at the discretion of Campus Recreation and may vary, depending on the level of campus activity.

6) ES, MS and HS designated space is available as follows: Elementary School space is located on the two bulletin boards near the ES Offices and the bulletin boards located near the glass exit doors nearest the ES Offices.

Middle School space is located on the front of the left pillar in each common area and on each floor.

High School space is located on the center pillars in each hallway and on each floor.

7) The wall on the side of the Booster store at the Concession stand, facing the Field House can be used for A1 signage and booked through Campus Rec. 8) The Booster club has 2 - 3 teardrop signs which promote the Falcons Nest space. These may be requested from the Booster Board when events are booked in that space..

Upholding Board Policy on maintaining a low profile ASD board policy directs the school to maintain a low profile in the broader community. Therefore, a distinction is made between INSIDE messaging and OUTSIDE messaging.

Inside and on campus signage should display the name of event, time of event, location of event, information about purchasing tickets, the organizing unit responsible for the event and contact information on how to find out more about the event. Any outside of gate signage should not display the date and time of events.

Personal Responsibility ASD asks that each student organization and parent involvement group take a ‘lead by example’ approach to how they manage the privilege of signage on campus. Each student, faculty member, parent or friend of ASD should take personal responsibility to help ASD maintain the standards indicated in this policy. We ask that facility users respect others by demonstrating a responsible approach to policy implementation.

Student organizations and parent involvement groups shall remove all promotional signage within a 24 hour period after an event. Best practices suggests that an event planning committee assign a person(s) for this specific task/activity.

ASD Student Organization Handbook | 19

Banners that are hung by ASD facilities are the exception and the removal of them remain the responsibility of the school in most cases.

(2) Backpack Mail Distribution The ‘backpack’ distribution system is for sharing school-wide/institutional print information with ASD families.

The process consists of distributing print material(s) to the youngest child of each ASD family (currently 1,000+ families). Materials are distributed with the support of the ES School Store, working in coordination with division leadership.

ASD uses backpack mail distribution on rare occasions. Examples of use include: KHDA surveys, Reenrollment Forms, ASD hosted events and the PTSA Carnival packet. Classroom teachers always have the option to use backpack mail for classroom specific announcements and information.

Interest in using Backpack Mail distribution begins with the ASD Advancement Office for evaluation and advice.

Interest by an external organization to inform the ASD community of an event or promotion begins with the ASD Advancement Office.

The Advancement Office is also available to field inquiries and offer counsel to student and parent groups on how to effectively promote a cause or event with the ASD community. Please contact Julia Martinez, Director of Advancement, jmartinez@asdubai.org.

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” ― Mother Teresa

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Running an Effective Meeting - Written by Sandra Rafail, 2015-16 SGA President What does it mean to be efficient? Well, efficiency is defined as: performing or functioning in the best possible manner with the least waste of time and effort. To run an effective and efficient meeting is to run it smoothly and productively throughout the allotted time. Every second counts. There is a formula to all of this, and it can be broken down into steps.

Step 1: The Plan This is how you organize your meeting from head to toe. When approaching step one, there are five questions we need to answer: 1. Why am I calling this meeting? Before we can think about the meeting, we need to have a purpose.

What are you seeking to accomplish? By setting a clear objective, you can ensure that there will be productivity.

2. Who does this meeting apply to? Who this meeting involves is extremely important. So, involve with purpose! By including people who have a reason to be there and will contribute, you can: • Make sure that everyone will be attentive • Eliminate the possibility of people associating these meetings with ‘a waste of time’. Include the people who are necessary and just keep others updated on the outcomes of the meeting.

3. What is on the agenda? Now that the ‘why’ and ‘who’ is taken care of, the question is, what needs to be discussed? The easiest way to answer this is to break it down. When your body digests food, the enzymes break it down. In a similar manner, you can’t just digest a whole project on it’s own, you need to simplify the task at hand to small orders of business. This gives the meeting some structure and it gets work done faster.

The best thing to to is to divide a project or discussion topic by, who is presenting what, what they are saying, when the deadlines are, and what needs to be done. A tip is to keep an electronic agenda to keep track of all these things and to prepare it prior to the meeting so you can go straight into the discussion.

4. Where will it be held? Where the meeting is held is extremely important. These should be no-distraction zones with space for work. Also remember to book or reserve the room beforehand to guarantee that there will be no confusion day of to save time.

5. When will it be held? The last part of planning is when. Be conscious of the timing and make sure, if it’s possible, that it works for everyone. Now that all the planning is in place, the meeting is ready to be held. Let’s get to step 2.

Step 2: The Meeting This is the real deal- and there are four things to keep in mind when you run your meeting: 1. Communication Communicate clearly when and where the meeting will be and give people time to see the message and plan ahead for it. Include what you will go over and remind everyone involved that if people need to have something ready, they should have it ready.

2. Initiation As you watch everyone file into the room, keep these pointers in mind: • Start on time- if not, you’ll either have to go overtime or not go over everything • Take attendance- it helps in holding accountability • Set ground rules- It could be no talking, no distractions, voting… anything that sets parameters and the tone of the meeting will help.

3. Running the Meeting Facilitating and timing the meeting is vital, so always have a timekeeper to keep track and a facilitator to help move the meeting along and stay on task.

4. Wrapping it up Make sure to end with clarity and to FOLLOW UP! ASD Student Organization Handbook | 21

Choosing and Evaluating a Community Partner Any ASD student organization wishing to work with a community partner should contact the Service Learning Office prior to contacting any agency or organization external to the American School of Dubai. Students or faculty may not make any binding arrangements, agreements or representations of the school to any external organization. Depending on the desired level of involvement, different criteria may factor into decision-making around suitable partners. A chaperoned field trip, for example, may be subject to a less stringent vetting process than an unsupervised student placement. The Service Learning Office can help with these decisions.

Evaluating a Charitable Partner Giving money to an organization is a gesture of faith that the money will be used in the manner intended or stated by the receiving organization. Generally, people are motivated to give money because they believe in the cause represented and they want to know that the money they give will be used for the stated purpose. In response to this, charitable “watchdog” groups make it easier for the philanthropist to ensure that their money is being used wisely. Be proactive, do some research and ensure that your money is being used with integrity.

• Charity Navigator: Allows you to search by category of US registered, not-for-profit organization or by charity name. Reports on financial health, accountability and transparency. Organizations must have seven years of records and receive more than $500,000 (USD) from individual donors in order to be evaluated.

Also posts donor advisories, reports on current news regarding philanthropy and maintains a blog with tips for being donating wisely.

• GuideStar: Requires free registration to access. The Service Learning office has an account. Reports on US-registered organizations. Relies primarily on information reported by the not-for-profit organization.

Financial and other information provided.

Working in an international environment can be complicated. Many organizations in our host countries are not based in the US and will not, therefore, be represented on the above sites. It is important to use multiple factors when considering a partner. When possible, visit the partner’s place of business and ask the organization to provide you with the financial information which will help you make a good decision.

Consider these factors: 1) Mission and programs - Is there a clearly defined mission? Do the organization’s programs supports its mission?

2) Goals - Does the organizations have specific, measurable goals?

3) Finances - Your organization should provide enough financial information for you to know how much of your donation goes to the programs you want to support. How much of each donation does it spend on fundraising? How much on administrative costs? Are these numbers comparable with other organizations doing similar work? Finally, are these numbers acceptable to you?

Developing a Lasting Partnership Community partners will be evaluated by the Service Learning office. Bring the research that you have done on the organization and talk to the Service Learning Coordinator. Email and phone contacts as well as personal visits, when possible, will be conducted. Partnerships are mutual agreements between the American School of Dubai and the proposed partner. Exploration of mutual benefit will help to determine whether a partnership is possible. Community organizations wishing to partner with ASD will be asked to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (Appendix D). The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) increases clarity between the partner and the school around expectations and can greatly increase the long-term success of the partnership.

Organizations unwilling to sign the MOU will not be deemed eligible for partnership and work with these organizations will not be supported by the American School of Dubai.

“The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson 22 | ASD Student Organizationt Handbook

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EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

Event Proposal and Approval Authorized student organizations have the capability to propose activities/events to the ASD community.

Activities/Events offer a powerful opportunity to increase awareness about your organization, your mission, and your cause. To ensure equal access and campus capacity, all activities/events must be approved.

What must be approved? All activities or events that any student or student organization wants to hold either on the ASD campus or using the ASD name or the name of an approved ASD organization.

What is exempt from the approval process? Regular student organization meetings or officer meetings do not need to be approved.

How long does it take? Start as soon as you have the idea. At the minimum, your proposal should be initiated no later than one month ahead of the proposed activity/event.

What is the process?

1. Discuss your idea with your organization. Once your officers and your advisor are 100% in favor of the idea, complete the Student Activity/Event Request. This Google form can be found on the left side-bar of your division’s GO page.

2. Collect the Student Activity/Event Checklist (see Appendix D) from the school office.

3. Make an appointment with school administration to discuss your idea.

4. Depending on your idea and suggested venue, other discussions may be necessary. You will learn of these during the meeting with school administration.

5. Obtain all necessary approvals, verified by signatures on the checklist.

6. Return to school administration for final approval.

7. Obtain the Event & Activity Booking Form from Campus Rec. This form secures your venue, date, and allows you to request the equipment you need. Attach the completed Activity/Event Checklist to the Event & Activity Booking Form and return it to your division’s administrative office.

8. Plan your event! Make sure you ask for help from your advisor, members, and other ASD offices listed in this handbook (school office, Service Learning office, Office of Advancement).

“Changes will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.

We are the changes we seek.” ― Barack Obama

ASD Student Organization Handbook | 23

Students: The “S” in PTSA The mission of the PTSA (Parent Teacher Student Association) at ASD is to build community and enrich student learning. PTSA fundraises to support events and programs for the benefit of ASD students, parents, faculty and staff.

The involvement, input and feedback of students are essential to PTSA’s success. There are multiple ways for students to be engaged with and benefit from PTSA programs and events. Students are encouraged to volunteer, to showcase their organization, and to fundraise for their cause. The main opportunities are outlined here: VOLUNTEER PTSA Halloween Trick-or- Volunteer to help at entry Treat Night gates and hand out wristbands, and to set up, decorate, and clean up.

SHOWCASE

FUNDRAISE

Promote your Check with faculty organization by hosting a advisors. table. You decorate it and make it fun, and PTSA provides the candy!

PTSA Santa’s Workshop

Volunteer to help with arts Check with faculty & crafts, storytelling, or advisors and PTSA the Santa photo booth. on limited opportunities.

Also volunteer to set up, decorate, and clean up.

Book a table at the Boosters’ Bazaar to sell items.

PTSA Carnival

Volunteer to help at entry gates and hand out wristbands, to set up, decorate and clean up, and to man various stations on the field.

Promote your cause at the largest community event of the year! Host a table or arrange a performance!

Raise money by selling food or other items or by running a game or activity.

PTSA Grants Program

There are two student seats (1 MS, 1 HS) on the PTSA Grants Review Committee.

If you’ve previously been awarded a PTSA Grant, be sure to followup so PTSA can help promote what you’ve accomplished with your grant!

Apply for a PTSA Grant.

Funds are awarded to worthwhile projects that will benefit our community! PTSA is available to help you think through your idea and develop a strong application!

All activities require sign up and approval by faculty advisor, school administration, and PTSA leadership.

Students must submit the standard request for participation within the given timeframe in order to secure approval in advance. Prior approval must be secured even if your organization has participated in the same event in the past.

Additionally, students can help promote the PTSA mission by doing all of the following:

ATTEND. One of the best ways to support PTSA and to support our school is by just showing up! Take advantage of the many ways to have fun and be involved! From Wild Wadi Night to Carnival, PTSA is focused on giving back to our community and supporting learning opportunities.

PROVIDE FEEDBACK. Students help PTSA continue to grow and improve every year by sharing ideas and suggestions. We want to hear from you and our partnership with students is important! Contact PTSA to provide your input and feedback.

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SPREAD THE WORD. Help PTSA share its latest news so that all students can be aware of upcoming opportunities! Consider highlighting PTSA events and programs through social media, announcements, newsletters and more that reach your friends and classmates. We will also highlight your hard work with PTSA in our communications!

CONTACT US! Please contact PTSA directly with comments or inquiries at any time. Visit the PTSA tab on the Go page for contact information and lots more about your PTSA!

Inviting a Guest to Campus The American School of Dubai is a secure campus. To protect our students, staff, and facilities, individuals outside the community (not connected to ASD as a student, staff or parent) are not allowed on campus grounds without invitation. If your organization would like to invite someone outside the community to campus, follow this process: 1. Initiate the Activity/Event Approval process if the guest has any part of an activity/event that you are hosting on campus or is outside of the school day.

2. If you are inviting a guest during the school day, to speak to a class or during Flex, your teacher/advisor obtains approval from the school office.

3. If the visitor is approved, ask the school office to add the details to the ‘ASD - Scheduled Campus Visitors and Appointments’ calendar. Should the meeting be made at short notice (less than 24 hours notice) also inform Security via email.

4. Inform your visitor to report to Gate #1. They will need to present picture ID, which they will leave at the gate. The visitor will receive a Visitor Badge that they must wear at all times while on campus.

5. Assign someone from your group to meet the visitor at Gate 1 and to walk them back to the gate at the end of their visit.

6. Be sure you follow up the visit with a thank you note.

“Do your little bit of good where you are.

It’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” ― Desmond Tutu ASD Student Organization Handbook | 25

External Publicity Using Our Students Any product that features our students visually or by name must be cleared for external use. This is done through the ASD office of Advancement. Make an appointment with the Director of Advancement before sharing videos, photographs or names of students.

Trips Off Campus Field Trips Field trips are supported and encouraged when they extend the curriculum and deepen students’ understanding. Field trips must be pre-approved by your Principal. Faculty Advisors initiate this process.

During the regular school day: 1. Complete the appropriate form or process relevant to your Division. Check with your Principal if you are unsure what to do.

2. Please submit three weeks before the proposed date of the field trip. If your trip will not impact the instructional time of another class, you may submit one eight day rotation before the field trip. Await approval from the Principal.

3. Submit the attendance list for the field trip to the admin assistant in the HS Office responsible for attendance.

4. Students will need to complete the Planned Absence Form to get permission from their other teachers when missing other classes. The organizer of the field trip is responsible for ensuring that students have completed and had the form signed by their teachers.

5. Arrange for transportation if necessary by going to the bus booking form found on the ES, MS, or HS Faculty Go page.

Extended, Overnight, or International Field Trips: Extended field trips can offer an amazing opportunity to deepen student learning and bond as a group. The complexity of arranging such a trip, however, is not to be taken lightly. If you are considering an extended field trip, contact your Principal who can offer you additional insight into the necessary procedures and processes.

Chaperone Ratio Requirements on Trips In general, ASD requires a chaperone to student ratio of 1:10. The lead chaperone must be a Faculty or staff member of ASD. International trips or overnight trips require a minimum of 2 Faculty Chaperones. In case of emergency, this increased ratio allows one chaperone to handle an emergency situation without leaving students unattended. The nature of the trip may necessitate additional requirements, check with your Administrator early in the planning process if you are proposing an overnight or international trip or one which contains an activity that may be perceived by others as adventurous or high risk.

Conduct on School Trips/Activities Students and faculty are held responsible for their conduct while attending or participating in school sponsored trips/activities beyond the regular school day. All policies, procedures and expectations remain in force.

Students and faculty are subject to all regulations of the school and will be governed accordingly.

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt

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“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” ― Nelson Mandela

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APPENDIX

Appendix A: Student Organization Proposal Packet ASD Mission Statement: We challenge and inspire each student to achieve their dreams and to become a passionate learner prepared to adapt and contribute in a rapidly changing world.

Student Organizations: Co-curricular student organizations are an important part of our school program. We believe they help to round out students’ educational experience as they explore areas of personal passion beyond the academic program. Additionally they provide students an opportunity to serve and grow as leaders while becoming more deeply engaged in the school community.

Student Organization Categories: Student Organizations fall into three categories: academic, school leadership, or service. Academic organizations extend curricular learning beyond the classroom. School leadership organizations work within the school to promote various opportunities. Service organizations are organized around an issue of global concern and may be connected to an external not-for-profit organization or partner.

Student Organization Criteria: To be eligible for consideration as a student organization sponsored by the American School of Dubai, the organization must meet the following criteria: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Initiated by a current member of the student body Evidences a sufficient level of student interest (20 or more students) Alignment of the student organization’s mission with that of the American School of Dubai The student organization’s mission falls within the scope of the school’s supported categories Has a constitution describing the purpose, goals and structure of the student organization Has identified activities that meet the mission and intent for ASD student organizations Has an identified meeting structure Identifies leaders through a sound electoral process Has actively participated in opportunities made available to student organizations at ASD including, but not limited to leadership training, assemblies, and other student events 10. Supported by an active faculty advisor 11. Is inclusive of all interested people 12. Distinct purpose, goals and activities from other existing student organizations 13. New student organizations are granted provisional status pending completion of a one-year pilot 14. Continued successful completion of annual renewal Starting a Student Organization at the American School of Dubai: Step 1: Complete the Student Organization Proposal Form. Submit the form to the High School Office by the posted deadline.

Step 2: Complete and submit the Student Organization Petition. This form demonstrates support for the organization. A total of 20 signatures must be collected from current ASD students, grades 9-11, who agree to join the organization if it is approved.

Step 3: Student Leadership & Academic Organizations are reviewed by divisional administration. Service organizations are reviewed by the Service Learning Coordinator. You may be asked to meet if there are questions about your application. Applications are then presented to the Campus Life Core Committee, which makes final determinations.

Step 4: Decision regarding your proposal is communicated. New organizations are on “pilot” status for one school year. At the end of the pilot phase, the continuation of the organization as an official school-sponsored 28 | ASD Student Organizationt Handbook

group will be determined based upon its ability to meet the criteria for school-sponsored student organizations as well as to achieve its goals and objectives as outlined in this Proposal Form.

Step 5: Approved organizations are invited to attend a leadership training and planning session at the start of the following school year. Attendance at this training is required of founding committee members and faculty advisors.

Timeline: Student organization proposals and renewals are conducted annually in the Spring. Leadership training is held at the start of the following school year. If you have questions regarding this process, please contact your division office.

Student Organization Proposal Application Name of Proposed Organization: ________________________________________________________ Co-Curricular Category: Please check the category that your organization is applying for.

____ Academic

____Service

____School Leadership

Mission Statement: A mission statement defines the group’s reason for existence and embodies the group’s core philosophy, purpose, and goals. It normally remains unchanged over time. Please provide your mission statement below.

Student Leadership: Leadership within the student organization during the pilot year will be carried out by the Founding Committee. At the time of annual renewal, the committee must produce a mission, constitution and hold elections for Executive Officers as defined by school policy.

Meetings: Describe the proposed meeting structure for this student organization. How often and for how long do you see this group meeting? Who will meet at these times?

Goal(s): What goals will you work towards achieving this school year?

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Activities or Events: Which ASD activities will your organization participate in this school year? List at least three and no more than six.

1.

4.

2.

5.

3.

6.

Finances: Organizations which anticipate handling money must establish an account with the ASD Business Office. Funds raised need to be handled according to Cash Handling guidelines. All funds will be dispersed at the end of every school year and communication about this disbursement will be shared with the community. Full financial policies are in the Student Organization Handbook.

Describe your need, if any, for funds:

Faculty Advisor: Who will act as the Faculty Advisor for your organization in this pilot year?

Name (print): __________________________________________________________

Our signatures below confirm that we agree to follow and uphold all guidelines for student organizations at the American School of Dubai.

Date: Student Founding Committee:

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Faculty Advisor(s):

Student Organization Petition: Student organizations must demonstrate student interest to include at least 20 current students; grades 9-11, who are willing to join this organization.

Student Organization Name: Submitted by: Date: Student’s Name (Printed)

Grade Level:

Student Signature:

1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11) 12) 13) 14) 15) 16) 17) 18) 19) 20)

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Appendix B: Student Organization Renewal Packet ASD Mission Statement: We challenge and inspire each student to achieve their dreams and to become a passionate learner prepared to adapt and contribute in a rapidly changing world.

Student Organizations: Co-curricular student organizations are an important part of our school program. We believe they help to round out students’ educational experience as they explore areas of personal passion beyond the academic program. Additionally they provide students an opportunity to serve and grow as leaders while becoming more deeply engaged in the school community.

Student Organization Categories: Student Organizations fall into three categories: academic, school leadership, or service. Academic organizations extend curricular learning beyond the classroom. School leadership organizations work within the school to promote various opportunities. Service organizations are organized around an issue of global concern and may be connected to an external not-for-profit organization or partner.

Student Organization Criteria: To be eligible for consideration as a student organization sponsored by the American School of Dubai, the organization must meet the following criteria: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Initiated by a current member of the student body Evidences a sufficient level of student interest (20 or more students) Alignment of the student organization’s mission with that of the American School of Dubai The student organization’s mission falls within the scope of the school’s supported categories Has a constitution describing the purpose, goals and structure of the student organization Has identified activities that meet the mission and intent for ASD student organizations Has an identified meeting structure Identifies leaders through a sound electoral process Has actively participated in opportunities made available to student organizations at ASD including, but not limited to leadership training, assemblies, and other student events 10. Supported by an active faculty advisor 11. Is inclusive of all interested people 12. Distinct purpose, goals and activities from other existing student organizations 13. Continued successful completion of annual renewal Renewing a Student Organization at the American School of Dubai: Step 1: Complete the Student Organization Renewal Form. Submit the form to the High School Administration by the deadline for consideration.

Step 2: Complete and submit the Student Organization Petition. This form demonstrates support for the organization. Renewing Student Organizations must provide the names of at least 20 active members and provide attendance documentation for those members.

Step 3: Submit your constitution (or make any amendments to your current constitution) to your divisional administration with your renewal application.

Step 4: Student Leadership & Academic Organizations are reviewed by divisional administration. Service organizations are reviewed by the Service Learning Coordinator. You may be asked to meet if there are questions about your application. Applications are presented to the Campus Life Core Committee, which makes final determinations.

Step 5: Student Organizations that are renewed will be invited to attend a leadership training and planning session. Attendance at this training is required for all Executive Officers and the Faculty Advisor.

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Timeline: Student organization renewals are conducted annually in the Spring. Leadership training is held at the start of the following school year.If you have questions regarding this process, please contact your division office.

Student Organization Renewal Application Name of Student Organization: ____________________________________________________ Co-Curricular Category: Please check the category that your organization is applying for.

____ Academic

____Service

____School Leadership

Mission Statement: A mission statement defines the group’s reason for existence and embodies the group’s core philosophy, purpose, and goals. It normally remains unchanged over time. Please provide your mission statement below.

Student Leadership: Leadership within the Student Organization will follow this structure: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and Publicist. These positions are considered the Executive Officers. The Student Organization is not required to have all of these positions, but it shall not have more than these. Student assumption of these offices will happen once a democratic process has been carried out. Please provide a description of your Student Organizations’ leadership positions and the method by which these positions will be filled.

Student Organization/Activity Meetings: Please describe the proposed meeting structure for this Student Organization. How often and for how long do you see this group meeting. Additionally who will meet at these times.

Student Organization Goal(s): What goals will you work towards achieving next school year?

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Activities or Events: Which ASD activities will your organization participate in next school year? List at least three and no more than six.

1.

4.

2.

5.

3.

6.

Financial: Describe your need, if any, for funds next year. How will you meet this need and through what type of activities?

Student Organization Account Balance: _________________ Organizations with more than $1,000.00 USD remaining will not be eligible for activities/events until funds are properly dispersed. Describe your plans for any balance remaining in your account:

Current Faculty Advisor: Do you intend to return in this capacity next year? ___Y ___N If no - who will oversee and support the Student Organization in the upcoming school year?

Name (print): __________________________________________________________ Signature: _________________________________________ Date: ____________

Our signatures below confirm that we agree to follow and uphold all guidelines for Student Organizations at the American School of Dubai.

Student Leaders:

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Faculty Advisor(s):

Student Organization Petition: Renewing student organizations must demonstrate student interest of at least 20 current members; grades 9-11. Grade 12 signatures will not be counted.

Student Organization Name: Submitted by: Date: Student’s Name (Printed)

Grade Level:

Student Signature:

1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11) 12) 13) 14) 15) 16) 17) 18) 19) 20)

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Appendix C: Candidate Declaration Form Candidate Declaration Students may serve as an officer in only one student organization. Therefore, they can run for only one office in any one election cycle. Each officer must hold a minimum, cumulative GPA of 2.0 and be in good academic and disciplinary standing. Please turn this form into the HS Office to declare your candidacy.

Name: _________________________________________________Grade: ______ Candidate for (State the position and organization. Ex: President, SGA): ________________________________ ________________________________________ Club Advisor (name & signature) : _____________________________________________ For Office Use Only: GPA _______

Good Academic Standing: ______ Disciplinary Standing: ______

Cleared for candidacy? (circle one) Y / N

Signature: ______________________

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Appendix D: Student Activity/Event Planning Checklist This checklist ensures that your activity/event is supported for success. Show this completed form at each step of the process. Follow these steps in the order listed: Name of Organization:______________________________ Event:___________________________________ 1. Talk over your idea with your organization’s members & leadership. Make sure they are in full support of your proposal. Make any agreed upon adjustments to the proposal before proceeding.

Advisor Signature :____________________________________________________________________ 2. Complete the Activity/Event Request online. This must be done at least four weeks prior to your proposed activity/event. Be prepared with the following information: 1. Name of Organization 2. In which Division will this activity/event be promoted? (ES, MS, HS, K-12) 3. Name of the activity/event 4. Description of the activity/event.

5. Is this activity/event a fundraiser? If yes, who benefits?

6. Proposed location for the activity/event.

7. How many people will attend this activity/event?

8. Leadership for the proposed activity/event.

3. Schedule an appointment with the School Administrative Assistant to meet with your Divisional Prinicipal/ Associate Prinicipal/Service Learning Coordinator to discuss the event/activity and obtain approvals.

4. If your activity/event requires a specific venue, please obtain approval from the respective departments below: Theater Dept:________________________________ Athletics Dept: _______________________________ Aquatics Dept:________________________________

Service Learning Coordinator:____________________ Other:______________________________________

5. Visit the Campus Recreation Office to find possible dates that could be used for your activity/event.

Campus Recreation will advise you of a suitable venue for your activity/event and provisionally book it for you.

Campus Rec completes: Date of Event: ____________________ Time of Event: ______________________ Location reserved: _________________________ Campus Rec Signature: __________________________ 6. FINAL APPROVAL - confirmed by Divisional Principal signature: _________________________________ Once final approval is obtained, confirm your venue booking with the Arts Asst or Campus Rec. If a fundraiser or service activity/event, confirm with the Service Learning Coordinator.

7. Attach this completed checklist to the Event & Activity Booking form (available at Office or Campus Rec) required at least two weeks prior to an activity/event.

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General Advice for Event Planning: 1. Keep it focused & purposeful - Start with clear objective. What are you trying to achieve? How will you know it was successful?

2. Start early - the more time you have in advance of an activity/event, the better prepared you will be.

3. Meet the deadlines - Event requests that do not meet the deadlines are not likely to be approved. Last minute requests stress resources.

4. Ask for help! Your student members, your faculty advisor, and the school administration want you to be successful and can help with ideas, advice and practical support.

5. Once your activity/event is approved, contact the Office of Advancement for advice and planning around promoting your activity/event.

Remember: 1. ALL activity/events have to be approved by one or more of the following people: i. School Principal

ii. Department Director (Arts, Athletics, Aquatics, Campus Recreation, Counseling,

Service Learning) 2. If your activity/event will be promoted to more than a single division/school or has a high impact on campus facilities, you may be asked to present your proposal to the K-12 Campus Life Core Committee and/or the ASD Cabinet for approval. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Event Facilities: available for booking through the Campus Rec office EXCEPT where stated below: • • • • • • • • • • • • •

E105 - Falcon Room E118 - ES MP Room (Maximum capacity: 150) E215 - ES MP Rooms (Maximum capacity: 150) E245 - Blue Room after 3:00 p.m. (Maximum capacity: 250) C119 - MS MP Room (Maximum capacity: 125) D122 - HS MP Room (Maximum capacity: 150) Common areas of all buildings Theater Foyer Theater (must have permission of Arts Director, minimum capacity: 150, maximum capacity: 630) Blackbox Theater (must have permission of Arts Director, maximum capacity: 196) Field House (must have permission of the Athletic Director, after school only) Field House Dance Studio (after school only) ES Gym (must have permission of the Athletic Director, after school only)

• ES & Secondary Pools (must have permission of Aquatics Director) • ES Cafeteria • Secondary Cafeteria and Patio • Falcons Nest concession stand • Main Field (nearest Field House) • Practice Field (between Gate 4 & 5) • Campus Rec Field (nearest Gate 5) • ES Rooftop court • Outdoor Court (near Gate 6) • Climbing Wall • ASD Seal (for activity/event banners) • Outdoor courtyard area near Gate 1 • Tennis courts (6 courts available) • ASD Organic Garden (Amphitheater seats approx 40)

Notes: ________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________

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